He was armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, a handgun, and a device police originally feared was a bomb. The city of Orlando has declared a state of emergency.

Most of the victims were men ranging in age from 18 to 50, with many in their 20s and 30s.

Officials are publicly identifying victims only after their families have been notified.

Four Mexicans were among the 49 people killed in a gunman's assault on a gay nightclub in the US city of Orlando, Florida, Mexico's government said on Monday.

Mateen held people hostage for three hoursCredit:
Orlando police/PA

Who are the victims?

The City of Orlando has published all 49 names of the dead on its website.

"On this very difficult day, we offer heartfelt condolences to today’s victims and their families

"Our City is working tirelessly to get as much information out to the families so they can begin the grieving process. Please keep the following individuals in your thoughts and prayers. #PrayforOrlando."

Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old

Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old

Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 years old

Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old

Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old

Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 years old

Luis S. Vielma, 22 years old

Kimberly Morris, 37 years old

Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old

Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old

Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old

Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old

Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25 years old

Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old

Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 years old

Amanda Alvear, 25 years old

Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old

Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old

Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old

Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35 years old

Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25 years old

Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31 years old

Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26 years old

Enrique L Rios, Jr, 25 years old

Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old

Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40 years old

Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 years old

Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old

Cory James Connell, 21 years old

Juan P Rivera Velazquez, 37 years old

Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old

Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old

Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25 years old

Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 years old

Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old

Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old

Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24 years old

Jean C Nives Rodriguez, 27 years old

Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33 years old

Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49 years old

Yilmary Rodriguez Sulivan, 24 years old

Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32 years old

Angel L Candelario-Padro, 28 years old

Frank Hernandez, 27 years old

Paul Terrell Henry, 41 years old

Antonio Davon Brown, 29 years old

Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 years old

Akyra Monet Murray, 18 years old

Geraldo A Ortiz-Jimenez, 25 years old

Stanley Almodovar III

Stanley Almodovar IIICredit:
Stanley Almodovar III/Facebook

Stanley Almodovar III, a pharmacy technician, was spending his night like many of his contemporaries, laughing, singing and posting videos on Snapchat, the picture messaging app.

But a few hours later he would become one of 50 people killed by Omar Mateen in a cruel act of hate.

His mother, Rosalie Ramos, spoke to Orlando Sentinel about her happy son with a big heart. She said he often obsessed with his hair and had dyed it on Saturday night.

Meanwhile his aunt Yoly, described him a boy with a promising future; "an amazing person with a good soul".

According to report, the man who would be 24 next month, came out of the bathroom as bullets were flying and he shoved people out of harm's way, his aunt said.

His mother described how she was to quickly come to the club. "I was hoping maybe [he was shot in] the hand or the leg," she said. "You can survive [a gunshot to] the leg."

His mother said her son studied at Anthem College so he could work in a pharmacy.

Edward Sotomayor Jr

Edward Sotomayor Jr, believed to be the man on the left according to his LinkedIn pageCredit:
Edward Sotomayor Jr/LinkedIn

Sotomayor was national brand manager at ALandChuck.Travel, a gay travel agency, his LinkedIn page says.

He lived in Sarasota, Florida, according to his Facebook page.

Friends paid tribute to him across social media with one who wrote on Twitter: "So sad my heart is broken".

His cousin, David Sotomayor, told the Associated Press that his relative was a caring, energetic man known for wearing a silly top hat on cruises. He said the two had found out they were related after meeting at Orlando's annual Gay Days festival around a decade ago.

"He was just always part of the fun," the cousin said, who is a drag queen who appeared on reality TV show RuPaul's Drag Race using the name, Jade.

"You never think that's going to be the last time you speak to him," Mr Sotomayor said as he told the news agency they spoke late last week. "It's just heartbreaking to know it just can happen anytime."

Luis S Vielma

Vielma, another victim, had worked as a production assistant on the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride at Universal Orlando according to his Facebook page and had studied at Seminole State College of Florida.

“He really loved to dance,” said JoAnn Sofinowski, 53, a wealth manager for Bank of America and family friend, who considered Luis and his siblings like her own children.

“And can he get down and dance – yes he can,” she added with a smile, still using the present tense.

“He would dance with all the little kids at parties. He just loved it.”

Luis Vielma

At 5pm on Sunday she received a text message from Kimberley, at 16 the youngest of the three siblings, confirming their worst fears. She was in Mexico with her mother, Tina, a restaurant worker, preparing for celebrations to mark her birthday. Her father and brother Brian, 19, were at the Orlando hotel which served as a gathering point for the families, and had been given the news.

Laura, a close family friend who knew the Vielmas well, remains in hospital, fighting for her life after a series of major surgeries.

“This senseless, timeless act occurred,” she said. “It happened at a LGBT venue, but Luis wasn’t gay. It didn’t matter. They went to dance and enjoy the music.

She told how Luis, born in Florida, lived to play football. The Mexican national team was his passion. He regularly played tricks on his brother, who he loved dearly.

“As a Harry Potter nut, he was so happy to have that job,” she said.

“He just enjoyed life. Everything he did, he did with joy. Even putting out chairs for a community event – he did it with joy.”

His friend, Eddi Anderson, who had been searching for information about his friend earlier on Sunday, described him as "one of the most genuine and kind hearted people I've ever met".

Will Randle, who was another friend and colleague, described how "everyone's day would brighten up whenever you came in. I don't care if it was an early opening, or a late event. Working with you was extraordinary".

J.K. Rowling, the Harry Potter author, shared a picture of Vielma in a Hogwarts school tie on Twitter, and said: "I can't stop crying."

Josh Boesch, who worked with Vielma at Universal, told the Orlando Sentinel: "He was always a friend you could call. He was always open and available."

It took until 11pm on Sunday night for all of the bodies to be removed from the club, meaning many of the families of the dead had to wait 24 hours before they were told the terrible news after police had identified their loved ones.

The City of Florida broke the news of his death in a post on its website earlier this morning.

Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo

Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo

Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo wanted to be a star. The 20-year-old dancer was working at Starbucks inside a Kissimmee Target store while studying theatre, and would have auditioned on Tuesday for a play, said his sister, Belinette Ocasio-Capo.

"He was one of the most amazing dancers," she said. "He would always call me and say, 'I'm going to be the next Hollywood star.' He really did want to make it and be known.

"Now his name ended up being all around the world, like he wanted - just not this way."

Omar, as he was known to family and friends, seemed brash to 70-year-old Claudia Mason, who worked with him at Starbucks. But after getting to know her much younger co-worker, "I realized he had a very outgoing personality," said Mason. "His sense of humor was definitely his defining personality trait."

Ocasio-Capo was hired as a cashier before moving over to the Starbucks, and became a great barista, Mason said.

"Omar got along with everyone. Young, old, male, female, gay, or straight, it didn't matter to Omar," she said.

Juan Ramon Guerrero

Juan Ramon Guerrero

Juan Guerrero, 22, was a student at the University of California.

His cousin, Robert Guerrero, told local media: "He was always this amazing person [and] he was like a big brother to me.

"He was never the type to go out to parties, would rather stay home and care for his niece and nephew."

Guerrero's boyfriend, Christopher "Drew" Leinonen was with him when the shooting took place and was also killed.

Enrique Rios

Gertrude Merced says that even though her heart is broken at the death of her 25-year-old son Enrique Rios, she has already forgiven the gunman.

Rios, who lived in Brooklyn, was in Orlando to celebrate a friend's birthday.

"I'm not angry at the gunman. I'm angry about the situation. I'm going to forever miss my son ... but I still have the hope that I'm going to see him again one day," Merced told reporters as she packed her bags outside her New York apartment and headed to Florida.

Rios' Facebook page says he worked with a home health care agency and his mother said he had a heart for helping the elderly. He transferred to St. Francis College in Brooklyn last year where he was studying social work.

Family and friends said he was determined, always helping others and had a heart of gold.

Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera

Ortiz-Rivera, 36, was reportedly originally from Puerto Pico.

He had also studied at the Univercidad Central de Bayamon according to his Facebook page.

Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera

Amanda Alvear

In a chilling Snapchat video Alvear, from Florida, posted on Snapchat, shots can be heard as a fearful Alvear whispers "shooting".

She would later become another victim at the end of Mateen's gun.

The nursing student like many of her peers began the night celebrating life, getting ready for another Saturday night out, enjoying being young and carefree.

"It was her family," Ms Baxley said. "She had lots of friends who were gay."

Amanda Alvear filmed in Pulse where shots could be heard

Much of her reasoning for taking such pleasure was after two years getting fit and gastric bypass surgery, she had lost 180lb and took photographs to show the change.

Her brother told the Orlando Sentinel that she had teased him: "Can you tell I look better? Can you tell I look cuter?"

"She was a fashionista. She liked to look good and she wanted my girls – her girls - to look good," Brian Alvear said after he told the website that she had spent time with his eight and 12-year-old daughters. "She liked to make them look very good."

He described how she was the life and soul of the party: "People got caught in her wake. Whatever she was doing, that's what they were going to do and have fun doing it."

Mercedez Marisol Flores

Mercedez Marisol Flores went to Pulse nightclub almost every weekend, Flores' sister-in-law said on Monday, often with her best friend Amanda Alvear.

"She was very outgoing," Nancy Flores said of Mercedez Flores. "She had lots of friends. They used to always meet up at Pulse."

Born in Queens, New York, the 26-year-old Flores moved to Florida when she was a child, her sister-in-law said. She worked at Target and studied at Valencia College, a local community college. She wanted to become a party planner so she could coordinate events with her two older brothers, who are both DJs.

Flores' family spent hours waiting at Orlando Regional Medical Center, then a staging area at a nearby hotel.

Someone came to read the names of victims still hospitalised or being released. Mercedez Flores' name wasn't on the list.

It wasn't until the early hours of Monday that her father got a call from the sheriff's office that his daughter had died, Nancy Flores said.

Marte said he understands what it's like to be at a nightclub during a shooting. He was at the Glitz Ultra Lounge in Orlando in February when two people were killed. He said he froze in place from the shock of it.

Jonathan Camuy

Jonathan Camuy, 25, moved to Central Florida from his native Puerto Rico to work for the Spanish-language television network Telemundo.

He was on the production team for "La Voz Kids," a talent show for young singers in its fourth season. He had previously worked for the network in Puerto Rico.

"Jonathan was an extremely hard-working individual, full of life, enthusiastic and with a great personality," the network said in a statement. "He will be missed dearly."

Camuy was also active in the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, which called him "one of our own" in a statement about his death.

Peter O Gonzalez-Cruz

Peter O Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 - known among family and friends as "Ommy" - was always the life of the party.

"Peter makes a difference everywhere he goes. He was a happy person. If Peter is not at the party, no one wants to go," his aunt, Sonia Cruz, said.

Gonzalez-Cruz went to Pulse on Saturday night with his best friend, 25-year-old Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez. After news of the mass shooting emerged, Cruz said she held out hope for hours that her nephew would turn up in a hospital bed.

But late on Sunday afternoon, she was told he was among those killed at the club.

Cruz said she had her nephew's car keys and was hoping to collect his car Sunday evening. It was parked at a Wendy's across the street from Pulse, one of many with yellow police caution tape tucked under the windshield wipers, vehicles left behind by victims of the shooting.

Cruz said her nephew worked at UPS.

Tevin Eugene Crosby

Tevin Eugene Crosby's inspirational posts on Facebook - "2016 will be the best year ever" - represented his drive for success.

Chavis Crosby, told the Orlando Sentinel that his brother was ambitious and hard-working. "Whatever goal he had in mind, he worked hard. Whether alone or on a team, he worked on that goal."

Tevin Crosby, 25, was director of operations for a Michigan marketing firm. He recently visited his family in Statesville, North Carolina, to watch several nieces and nephews graduate. Then he traveled to Orlando after passing along some brotherly advice about business and setting goals. He loved to travel for work and fun, Chavis Crosby said.

"He was definitely a good person and a good brother to me," he said.

Kimberly Morris

Kimberly Morris, 37, moved to Orlando just months ago and had taken a job at Pulse nightclub as a bouncer, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

"She was so excited," ex-girlfriend Starr Shelton told the newspaper. "She'd just started working there and told me how she was thrilled to get more involved in the LGBT community there," Shelton said.

Friends described Morris as a kind, sweet person.

Narvell Benning met Morris when they were in college at Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut, where Benning said they both played basketball.

"I can't think of a time when I did not see a smile on her face," Benning told the Sentinel. "I'm so thankful of the good memories I have of her. This is just unreal."

Christopher Leinonen

Christine Leinonen drove to Orlando at 4 am on Sunday after learning of the shooting from a friend of her 32-year-old son, Christopher Leinonen.

She said her son's friend Brandon Wolf survived by hiding in a bathroom and running out as the bullets flew.

Leinonen was killed alongside his boyfriend, Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22.

Akyra Monet Murray

The youngest victim was named on Monday as Akyra Monet Murray, an 18-year-old who was only months away from starting Mercyhurst College in Pennsylvania on a full basketbull scholarship, Associated Press reported.

Akyra, who turned 18 in January, graduated third in her class in Philadelphia, where she had also been a 1,000-point scorer on the basketball team.

To celebrate her graduation, Akyra, her parents and her four-year-old sister travelled to Orlando for a family vacation.

On Saturday, the 18-year-old told her parents she wanted to party in downtown Orlando. They dropped her off at Pulse at 11:30 Saturday night.

During her final hours, she called her mother after she was shot, screaming that she was losing a lot of blood.

Only moments earlier, she had sent a text to her mother, Natalie Murray, at 2am to pick her from the club where there had been a shooting and she was hiding in a bathroom stall from Mateen.

Leroy Valentin Fernandez

Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25, recently had found a job as a leasing agent for an Orlando apartment complex, said his friend, Jennifer Rodriguez. "He had finally found something he liked. He was taking care of his mom," she said.

He was her hair stylist and became one of her best friends, she said. "He was like a brother," she said. "He was just really very spirited and always happy, you know?"

Mr Fernandez recently had been dating an older man, a dancer known by the stage name Eman Valentino. That dancer was Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35, who also died and left behind a young son who had graduated from pre-kindergarten earlier this month.

"I have no words to express how proud and happy I am of my little boy," Mr Rosado, 35, wrote on Facebook recently about his son.

A friend described Rosado as hard-working, talkative and friendly. Yemil Royce said: "He was a lovely friend, brother and father."

A YouTube video shows him dancing as an elegantly dressed Eman Valentino at the Orlando club Parliament House. He wears a cape, tie and gloves and collects tips from the audience between high kicks and spins.

Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon and Jean Carlos Mendez Perez

Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37, who went by Dani, barely spoke English when he moved from Puerto Rico to Florida in 2004, but he wasn't deterred by the language barrier. His cousin, Laly Santiago-Leon, said he learned English in six months, got a job at a store that sells fragrances and quickly rose through the ranks.

"He was loved by everyone," Santiago-Leon told the Associated Press. "He walked into the room and all eyes were on him because of his positive energy, just what he radiated."

She said her cousin frequented Pulse nightclub with his partner of six years, Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, who also was killed in the attack. The two loved Latin Night, and Wilson-Leon, 37, had posted pictures of the club online before Sunday morning's rampage.

Santiago-Leon, 40, said her cousin wanted to be treated like everybody else, to be a family man, to be a good person and to help people in need. He had an infectious laugh and loved to cook Puerto Rican food, she said.

She learned of his death Sunday.

"I couldn't believe that he was gone. That he is gone. That this is happening," she said. "I'm heartbroken."

Miguel Honorato

Jose Honorato wrote a simple, heartfelt message on his brother's Facebook page on Sunday: "Come home bro, I'm waiting for you."

Miguel Honorato did not survive the shooting.

A father of three, among them a one and two-year-old, 30-year-old Miguel Honorato managed four restaurants in central Florida along with a catering business on the side and was always the one to drop everything to help out his family, which included seven siblings.

"He was my mentor and my supporter. He helped very much in my parent's house and work," Jose Honorato said. Even though Miguel was younger he was the one who gave sage advice about the family business, his brother said.

Jose Honorato changed his Facebook photo Monday to one of the two brothers smiling over a charcoal grill, one of many happy memories cooking together.

Shane Tomlinson

Singing was Shane Tomlinson's passion. He had just performed as the lead vocalist with "The Frequency Band" on Saturday night at Blue Martini club before going to Pulse, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

"He was destined for a grand stage and he was doing exactly what he wanted to do," said Dr. Lathan Turner, associate director of student transitions at Eastern Carolina University, where Tomlinson graduated in 2003 with a degree in communication.

Mr Tomlinson, 33, was a vibrant and charismatic lead vocalist for the band, performing at night clubs and weddings in the Orlando area.

"I've never met anyone like him," said Carey Sobel, an Orlando resident who hired Mr Tomlinson's band to play for his upcoming wedding. "He was really special."

Tarrick Cox, an advisor for Eastern Carolina's gospel choir who worked with Tomlinson when he was a member, remembers his contagious personality and the laughter that surrounded him.

"He was gifted and creative. He was a go-getter," Mr Cox said in a statement from the university.

Brenda Lee Marquez McCool

Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49, fought cancer twice and beat it both times, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The local newspaper reports that she also raised 12 children. She was at Pulse nightclub early Sunday morning with one of her sons. He survived, but she did not. She was 49. Her obituary is linked in our bio.

Anthony Luis Laureano Disla

Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25, started dancing at the age of 10 and was comfortable with any number of styles, from salsa to ballroom, his cousin Ana Figueroa said.

Ms Figueroa told the Orlando Sentinel that he had texted her on Saturday inviting her out for a night of dancing at Pulse nightclub. She responded that she was too tired.

He was out with two roommates, both of whom were injured in the shooting, she said. The newspaper did not identify the roommates.

Bettye Edwards, of Oviedo, told the newspaper that she and Mr Henry started a church briefly and that he had a master's degree in business from Florida State University and a theological degree. Mr Henry never took a lesson, Ms Edwards said, but he was a talented musician who sang and played the organ and piano.

Danielle Biggers, of Orlando, said she worked with Mr Henry as a sales representative at a resort company.

"He always would make sure he would say hello," she said. "He just was over the top and made everybody smile."

Martin Benitez Torres

Martin Benitez Torres, 33, had recently moved to Orlando and was working to become a pharmacy technician.

Mr Benitez was a student at a Tampa satellite campus of the Ana G. Mendez University System, based in Puerto Rico, where he was born. In a university statement, one of his professors called him a "diligent and extremely hardworking student".

Mr Benitez was "thankful for the opportunity to advance his career and hopeful to make his dreams a reality," said Carla Zayas, a Spanish professor.

Jose Crisantos used to work with Mr Martinez at Reunion Resorts and also remembered his kindness.

"He was very well known among us as very kind and loving," Mr Crisantos said. "There was nobody else like him. It is a devastating loss."

Jerald Arthur Wright

Jerald Arthur Wright, 31, was quiet but knew how to treat guests at Walt Disney World, where he worked as a seasonal employee, a former co-worker said.

"He was one of the kindest people you could meet," co-worker Kenneth Berrios told the Orlando Sentinel. "We had students from the London programme and Jerry was always willing to give rides to them and show them around town."

Jerald Arthur Wright, 31, worked at Walt Disney World. He was at Pulse to celebrate a friend’s birthday. pic.twitter.com/PvoApRDfK1

Mr Wright "was a great guy to work with," former co-worker Scott Dickison said. "He was quiet but really wonderful with all the guests. He always had a smile on his face."

Mr Dickison said Wright had worked most recently in merchandising on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, but also had worked in Tomorrowland and at Universal Studios in Orlando.

Jason Josaphat

Jason Josaphat, 19, called his mother as a gunman opened fire to ask for help, his aunt and uncle said.

She stayed on the line with him and could hear gunshots in the background, but tried to calm him down as he hid in the bathroom, Jimmy and Myrleine Inelus told KPNX-TV in Arizona, where Josaphat went to high school.

His mother then didn't hear anything for as many as 20 seconds.

"It was dead silence on the phone ... I think that's when the gunman finally made his way into the bathroom," Jimmy Inelus said.

Jason Josaphat-the young man from Mesa, AZ, killed in Orlando massacre. This tragedy continues to touch us all. pic.twitter.com/VcoE6Wxw9k

Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz

They became friends during middle school, and in high school, took honours classes and band together - Mr Sanfeliz on trumpet. Though they didn't see each other much after graduating in 2010, "we stayed friends on Facebook," Mr Palange told the Tampa Bay Times.

Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24, worked at a local bank and was known for his positive outlook on life. pic.twitter.com/OhX07OUI8Q

Mr Sanfeliz's family moved there from Cuba in the 1960s, family friend Mike Wallace said. Sanfeliz took business classes at a community college and was hired as a bank teller and worked his way up to become a personal banker, Mr Wallace said.

"He (was) a wonderful person and this is such a tragedy," said Mr Wallace. "He was cut down in his prime."

Frank Hernandez

Frank Hernandez, 27, loved fashion and lived to purchase the finest pieces of clothing at Calvin Klein or Armani.

"He had the best of everything, the most expensive," said Jessica Leal, 19, one of his five siblings. "He liked the good stuff. And he worked hard for it."

A manager at a Calvin Klein store in Orlando, Mr Hernandez grew up in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, near the US-Mexico border, and had lived in Central Florida for three years.

Mr Hernandez also loved Beyonce and going out to dance, and he frequented Pulse, Ms Leal said. According to media reports, Mr Hernandez's boyfriend was able to escape, but lost track of him in the chaos.

His sister has planned a fitting tribute: She'll wear Calvin Klein at his funeral.

"I'm pretty sure he'd love it if he saw it," she said.

Franky Jimmy De Jesus Velazquez

Franky Jimmy De Jesus Velazquez, 50, worked as a visual merchandiser, designing displays for an Orlando clothing store, according to his Facebook page. He posted inspirational and funny messages on his page, including a T-shirt that read: "Never underestimate an old man who is also a visual merchandiser."

On a list of victims with an average age of 29 years old, Mr Velazquez was the oldest. But age never became a barrier for Velazquez, former co-worker Bret Werner said.

Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 yr old is dead. Spoke to his loved ones yesterday they were praying he made it 💔 pic.twitter.com/K37JfYbKZf

Darryl Roman Burt II

As a volunteer, he co-chaired a clothing drive for the homeless for the Jacksonville Jaycees, a nonprofit organisation.

"Darryl was very passionate about working in the community and wasn't afraid to take the lead," Jacksonville Jaycees President Shawn DeVries told the Indianapolis Star. "If someone needed anything, he'd usually just ask for the details: where, when and what are the deadlines."

"He told him he was OK, but in that instant he fell to the floor," Padro said.

Candelario-Padro loved music and had played the clarinet in a band in his hometown of Guanica, Puerto Rico, according to uncle Efrain Padro.

"We're waiting for his body to be brought home," he said, "We will welcome him with music."

Joel Rayon Paniagua

Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32, moved to Florida from Mexico in the early 2000s in search of a better life.

He went back to his home state of Veracruz for several years but returned to Tampa less than a year ago, relatives and friends said.

"We came because here in the United States there are many opportunities here and because we were fleeing because in our country there was a lot of crime, violence and death ... and we expect it should be more peaceful here," his cousin Jose Paniagua told Newsday.